Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that the state government will ensure that any person declared a foreigner by a Foreigners’ Tribunal is pushed back within one week of the order, as part of efforts to expedite action against illegal infiltration.
Addressing the media on the first day of the New Year, Sarma said that nearly 2,000 illegal foreigners have been pushed back across the international border with Bangladesh in the past few months under the provisions of the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950.
The Chief Minister said that the state government has decided to ensure swift action against those declared illegal foreigners by foreigners’ tribunals.
“In the last few months, around 2,000 illegal foreigners have been pushed back through the international border. This will definitely help in reducing illegal entry into Assam,” the Chief Minister added.
He said that delays in deportation in the past had allowed declared foreigners to prolong their stay by approaching higher courts.
“We have taken a decision that those declared foreigners by the foreigners’ tribunals will be pushed back within seven days so that the process does not get delayed,” Sarma said.
The Chief Minister said a firm approach towards dealing with illegal immigration was missing earlier, but the situation has changed after the Supreme Court upheld the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950. He said pushing back illegal foreigners has now become a clear policy of the state government.
Sarma expressed confidence that the new measures would bring visible changes in addressing the issue of illegal immigration in the state.
Foreigners’ tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies unique to Assam that determine whether a person suspected to be an illegal immigrant is an Indian citizen or not. At present, there are 100 such tribunals functioning across the state.
The border wing of the Assam Police is responsible for detecting and deporting illegal immigrants and preventing infiltration. It also refers suspected cases to the foreigners’ tribunals, which examine documents and evidence before giving their verdict.
In October 2024, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court upheld the validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955, which grants Indian citizenship to those who entered Assam from Bangladesh before March 24, 1971. The court also held that Section 6A, read with the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, was adequate to address the issue of illegal immigration in Assam.